Buddleja plant named ‘BUDHUR99’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Buddleja  plant named ‘BUDHUR99’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; durable variegated leaves that resist scorching under full sunlight conditions; narrow conical inflorescences with numerous light purple-colored flowers that are sterile; and good garden performance and winter hardiness.

Botanical designation: Buddleia davidii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BUDHUR99’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT

The Inventor/Applicant assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor/Applicant. Inventor/Applicant claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Buddleja plant, botanically known as Buddleja davidii and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BUDHUR99’.

The new Buddleja plant originated from an open-pollination in 1999 in an outdoor nursery in Solihul, United Kingdom of an unnamed selection of Buddleja davidii, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Buddleja davidii as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Buddleja plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled outdoor environment in Solihul, United Kingdom in 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Buddleja plant by softwood stem cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Bressingham, United Kingdom since September, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Buddleja plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Buddleja have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BUDHUR99’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BUDHUR99’ as a new and distinct Buddleja plant:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   4. Durable variegated leaves that resist scorching under full         sunlight conditions.     -   5. Narrow conical inflorescences with numerous light         purple-colored flowers that are sterile.     -   6. Good garden performance and winter hardiness.

Plants of the new Buddleja differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in foliage color as plants of the new Buddleja have variegated leaves whereas plants of the female parent selection have non-variegated leaves.

Plants of the new Buddleja can be compared to plants of Buddleja davidii ‘Summer Skies’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,465. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Buddleja differ primarily from plants of ‘Summer Skies’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Buddleja are more outwardly spreading than         plants of ‘Summer Skies’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Buddleja are variegated whereas         leaves of plants of ‘Summer Skies’ are not variegated and are         bright yellow in color.     -   3. Plants of the new Buddleja flower later than plants of         ‘Summer Skies’.     -   4. Plants of the new Buddleja are not as freely flowering as         plants of ‘Summer Skies’.     -   5. Flowers of plants of the new Buddleja are light purple in         color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Summer Skies’ are pale         violet blue in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Buddleja plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Buddleja plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BUDHUR99’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the mid to late summer in containers in an outdoor nursery in Fort Worth, Tex. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Buddleja production. Plants were two years old when the description were taken. Plants used for the photographs were grown in an outdoor nursery in Lancaster, Pa. during the late summer. Plants were five years old when the photographs were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Buddleja davidii ‘BUDHUR99’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Buddleja             davidii, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Buddleja             davidii, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood stem cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots plant, summer.—About ten weeks at             soil temperatures about 15° C. and ambient temperatures             about 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 90 days at             soil temperatures about 15° C. and ambient temperatures             about 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to medium in thickness, fibrous;             close to 158B in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Deciduous perennial shrub; upright             and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit,             dense and bushy appearance; moderately vigorous growth habit             and moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 15 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 36 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity: Freely branching habit with             about twelve primary lateral branches developing per plant             with secondary lateral branches developing potentially at             every node. Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: Relatively short, about 2 cm. Strength:             Strong, flexible. Aspect: Initially upright to about 45°             from vertical; with subsequent development, close to             horizontal. Texture and luster: Initially, soft pubescent,             then becoming glabrous and woody with development; matte.             Color, developing: Close to 144A; pubescence, close to 196A             to 196B. Color, woody: Close to 199A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement and appearance.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic.         -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate to attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate; undulate.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; rugose; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Center, close to 147A; surrounding center and to the             margins, close to 154D; venation, similar to lamina.             Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Center,             close to 191A; surrounding center and to the margins, close             to 11D; venation, similar to lamina.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture             and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Strength: Moderately strong, flexible. Color, upper             surface: Close to 154D. Color, lower surface: Close to 11D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single salverform flowers             arranged on terminal panicles; inflorescences face mostly             outwardly; panicles long and conical in shape; freely             flowering habit with more than 150 flowers developing per             inflorescence and about 10 to 15 inflorescences in flower at             one time; flowers face upright, outwardly to downward             depending on position on the panicle; flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; sweet and pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period, plants             flower continuously from early August into the early autumn             in Texas.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Shape: Narrowly ovoid. Color: Close to N82B to N82C.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 12 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.75 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 7.5 mm to 9 mm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 1 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 5 mm.         -   Tube diameter, proximally.—About 1 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically four in a single             whorl fused at the base. Length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About             3 mm. Shape: Oblong to obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire; slightly undulate. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Developing             and fully expanded petals, upper surface: Close to N82C;             venation, close to N82C; color becoming closer to N82D with             development. Developing and fully expanded petals, lower             surface: Close to N82D; venation, close to N82D; color does             not change with development. Throat: Close to 15A. Tube:             Close to 85B to 85C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically four in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: Less than 1 mm. Shape:             Narrowly ovate to lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused at             the base. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 145A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 143A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: Upright to outwardly. Texture:             Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 144A to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: Outwardly. Texture: Slightly             pubescent. Color: Close to 144A to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             four. Filament length: About 0.5 mm. Filament color: Close             to 27D. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to 157B. Pollen amount: None observed.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             1 mm. Stigma shape: Oblong. Stigma color: Close to 144A to             144B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Buddleja. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Buddleja have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Buddleja plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Buddleja have been observed to     have good garden performance, to resist leaf scorching under full     sunlight conditions and to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures     ranging from about −20° C. to about 38° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Buddleja plant named ‘BUDHUR99’ as illustrated and described. 